Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-21

wound the plentiful Waves and r1pples
INTO careless knot on top Of her head,
and sat down on the edge of the bed, lost
in meditation as pleasant as it was pro-
found.
At last she looked up.
Sally was sleeping the sleep Of the just,
with one dimpled hand under her cheek,
the other lying idly on the coverlet. The
old Dutch clock On the landing of the
stairs below chimed out a melodious mid
night, and Madge began to think seriously
of bed
AS she glanced up, however, her eyes
beheld sight which caused every drop
of blood to stand still in her veins.
In the mirror opposite her she saw the
door Of a closet on the other side of the
bed open slowly, and the face of man
pop slyly out-a bad, brutal, scar scanned
face, with blood shot eyes that scanned
the scene with evil accuracy. They saw
the slumbering and unconscious Sally,
the motionless figure of Madge, evidently
about to follow her friends example and
retire for the highland the little heap
OF rings and pins that glittered on q tiny
table near by. With a grin Of hideous
satisfaction the face was noiselessly with
drawn, and the door shut softly to again,
while poor Madge laid a hand upon her
heart and tried to still its wild beating.
What should she do? Wake Sally, who
would be certain to cry out in frenzy of
fright, and give the wretch chance to
annihilate them before they could escape?
Ely down stairs to the smoking room,
where she could hear some of the men
still talking over their cigars, and aban-
don Sally to her fate? She raised her head
once more in despair, when 10! an idea!
Lightly, trembling she rose to her feet,
lightly crossed the room, and suddenly!
Heavens! how the floor cracked! sud-
denly she turned the key in the lock, and
had her prisoner safe
How he swore and stormed and beat
against the door, while Sally woke scream
ing, and the household, in state of dire
alarm, appeared upon the scenel The men
rushed up from the smoking room and
proceeded to extract the offender from
his impromptu dungeon, and to deliver
him over to the officers of the peace,
who were summoned by watchman's
rattle, welded vigorously out of the win
dow by Mrs. Van COover in paroxysm
of fear.
There was an immense amount Of CAB
D-S etAu PA1iiotAOh EcuiS, VII,
praise of Madge'S courage and presence Of
mind, and then general rendezvous in
the hall below, for sleep was felt to be
after all that had occurred.
But on the way down stairs, on the dusky
landing, where the old Dutch clock had
stood for years and told no tales, Mr..
Tom Fotterall and Miss Madge Palliser
were detained moment or two behind
the rest, quite by chance, of course, and
by any. The red brown locks
were in sad state Of tumble, but the
pretty pink wrapper was very becoming,
and for once in her life it's
wearer was really lovely with happy tears
in her eyes, and the dearest blush in the
world mantling her cheek, as somebody's
tender arms went about her and some
body said softly:
''At Trinity, the last Of May!'
And that was all. A very brief mo-
ment Of bliss, but the next Sunday par
agraph appeared in several gossipy jour |
nails, which electrified society at large. |
1t said:
1.-The engagement is announced of Mr.. |
Thomas Crguhart Fotterall, who is the |
,nly scion of the Oldest and most aristo-
ratio family in Virginia, and Miss Mar
yaret Euphrosyne PalGser, the reignipg
'elle of the season."
=
AS for the burglar, he was sentenced to
! fine long term in Jail, and Miss Madge
'alliser might have realized handsome
ortune had she accepted the offers Of the
arious dime museums that longed to ex-
ibit her as the heroine of daring ex-
loit.-M. E. w. in Providence Journal.